You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, September 29). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
Note: Like Execution of Justice, the dramatic action in this play is organized to flow differently from that of other plays this semester. For one thing, Hwang has built his play around himself and quotes from the New York Times and other media sources. And like Execution of Justice this approach to the construction of a play is unique and often challenging to readers. I think the approach is generally effective. It is also suited to be examined thru Ball’s method of analysis. However, I will keep the same set of questions in tact that were asked of Execution.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
This play opens with David Hwang protesting the casting of a Caucasian man in the role of an Asian character in the play Miss Saigon. This stasis sets up the landscape for the rest of the play, and illustrates the issues yet to come. In the begging David was somewhat of a celebrity and role model for the Asian community.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
The intrusion in this play is when David discovers that Marcus is actually white and not Asian. This revelation bugs him extremely so, he continually hears the words said by one of the actresses in his play, "He was playing the white guy". He tries all he can to cover up this fact and contemplates firing Marcus. During the interview with the Asian american students he attempts to, and successfully so, weave the conversation to make Marcus seem Asian.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The events of this play take place during the 1990s and as a result happen to be at the same time as the investigations into Asian American owned business and banks. They attempt to suggest that they're working for the Chinese or other foreign governments. These events contextualize the central themes of racism and prejudice in this play. Society at this time was distrusting of Asian Americans and in theater, Asians were passed up on Asian roles by white people.
4. State the dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Should race hold any value good, or bad in today's society?
Is the "American dream" still alive?
What will David go one to do to finds his "face" ?
What does race actually mean to us?
Does the idea of "color-blind" casting even exist?
5. Use Hwang’s “character” to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
David's desires and ambitions are somewhat hard to pin down. David, in the beginning of the play saw what he though was injustice in theater, and wrote a letter to voice his opinions. However, later in David's own play he finds himself guilty of the exact thing he deemed unacceptable earlier. David's battle is not only internal through his own actions convincing himself that Marcus was indeed Asian. We see him try and stretch the truth very far when he's on the phone with one of Marcus's former playmates. He asks about Marcus's past and the actor says he's Jewish which David reply saying it a religion not an ethnicity, or origin. Then the actor says Marcus's family is from Siberia, and David makes the point that, Siberia is in Asia. We also see David struggle with society, through his father's persecution from the government about his Chinese accounts, but also from the public's reaction to his plays, but also the fact that he actively tries to hid the fact that Marcus is indeed 100% white could allude to his fight against a society bent of racial classification, and association.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Yellow Face.
Hwang's play is full of theatrical moments. He has moments when an announcer shows up and announces the names and titles of characters, or events that take place. The breaking of the fourth wall at the very end also highlights the blurry line between fiction and reality in Hwang's play which makes the audience question many things about it and real life. The reading aloud of the e-mails helps add to the dramatic effect, because in a way it's Hwang's bringing into and out of creation the themes and subject within his play.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
Note: Like Execution of Justice, the dramatic action in this play is organized to flow differently from that of other plays this semester. For one thing, Hwang has built his play around himself and quotes from the New York Times and other media sources. And like Execution of Justice this approach to the construction of a play is unique and often challenging to readers. I think the approach is generally effective. It is also suited to be examined thru Ball’s method of analysis. However, I will keep the same set of questions in tact that were asked of Execution.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
This play opens with David Hwang protesting the casting of a Caucasian man in the role of an Asian character in the play Miss Saigon. This stasis sets up the landscape for the rest of the play, and illustrates the issues yet to come. In the begging David was somewhat of a celebrity and role model for the Asian community.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
The intrusion in this play is when David discovers that Marcus is actually white and not Asian. This revelation bugs him extremely so, he continually hears the words said by one of the actresses in his play, "He was playing the white guy". He tries all he can to cover up this fact and contemplates firing Marcus. During the interview with the Asian american students he attempts to, and successfully so, weave the conversation to make Marcus seem Asian.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The events of this play take place during the 1990s and as a result happen to be at the same time as the investigations into Asian American owned business and banks. They attempt to suggest that they're working for the Chinese or other foreign governments. These events contextualize the central themes of racism and prejudice in this play. Society at this time was distrusting of Asian Americans and in theater, Asians were passed up on Asian roles by white people.
4. State the dramatic question that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Should race hold any value good, or bad in today's society?
Is the "American dream" still alive?
What will David go one to do to finds his "face" ?
What does race actually mean to us?
Does the idea of "color-blind" casting even exist?
5. Use Hwang’s “character” to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
David's desires and ambitions are somewhat hard to pin down. David, in the beginning of the play saw what he though was injustice in theater, and wrote a letter to voice his opinions. However, later in David's own play he finds himself guilty of the exact thing he deemed unacceptable earlier. David's battle is not only internal through his own actions convincing himself that Marcus was indeed Asian. We see him try and stretch the truth very far when he's on the phone with one of Marcus's former playmates. He asks about Marcus's past and the actor says he's Jewish which David reply saying it a religion not an ethnicity, or origin. Then the actor says Marcus's family is from Siberia, and David makes the point that, Siberia is in Asia. We also see David struggle with society, through his father's persecution from the government about his Chinese accounts, but also from the public's reaction to his plays, but also the fact that he actively tries to hid the fact that Marcus is indeed 100% white could allude to his fight against a society bent of racial classification, and association.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Yellow Face.
Hwang's play is full of theatrical moments. He has moments when an announcer shows up and announces the names and titles of characters, or events that take place. The breaking of the fourth wall at the very end also highlights the blurry line between fiction and reality in Hwang's play which makes the audience question many things about it and real life. The reading aloud of the e-mails helps add to the dramatic effect, because in a way it's Hwang's bringing into and out of creation the themes and subject within his play.